Abstract

While conducting agricultural experiments, researchers must take a variety of measurements of every research specimen. Currently this process is done manually by research technicians walking the fields, which requires extra personnel, time and money for the project. The clients of the RADA project, Dr. Nicola Elia and Dr. Philip Jones, wish to develop a system that could automate these agricultural measurements using a robotic platform. An automated system would reduce the personnel required and the time spent by researchers gathering information about their specimens. The final implementation of the RADA project will be able to reliably traverse through the rough terrain of experimental fields. Considering the current resources and the complexity of the final implementation, the objective of the May 15-27 senior design group is to implement a prototype of a robotic system that could feasibly traverse in a controlled environment. The prototype system consists of an instrumentation arm connected to a ground robot at a single pivot point. Four propellers atop the instrumentation arm are responsible to balance the arm about the pivot. The environment consists of a camera system that tracks the robot and also serves as a feedback for the robot.